A new report from the Pew Research Center released today shows that American political partisans increasingly not only dislike those who favor the other party, but about half are actually "afraid" of them. While alarming, the finding seems fitting amidst the current atmosphere of fear-mongering and crisis exploitation coming from both sides of the aisle. … Continue reading Politicians Pander, Capitalize on Tragedy
Author: mirrorwilderness
Jonathan Riley is a multimedia journalist from Oakland, California. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University East Bay and a master's in journalism from Boston University. He has covered US politics at the local, state and federal level, writing for newspapers in California and Massachusetts, as well as working with the investigative unit at CNN in Washington, DC.
Following an incident in May when U.S. Special Forces were photographed near Raqqa, Syria, wearing patches representing what is considered a terrorist group by Turkey - and, technically, by the U.S. as well - a representative of the international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders has been arrested by Turkish authorities on "terrorist propaganda" charges. … Continue reading Arrests in Turkey Show War on Terror Ambiguity
The Department of Defense recently announced that its "Hack the Pentagon" pilot program that invited hackers to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities was successful and the DoD will continue pursuing similar initiatives, even as reports emerge that the Islamic State group has obtained information on more than 70 US and NATO air force bases. Hack the Pentagon … Continue reading Black and White Hat Hackers Target Pentagon
With a renewed focus on countering ISIS following the Orlando massacre, new tactics are being suggested for defeating the terror network and those it inspires. Among the suggestions are technologies to allegedly predict terrorist attacks and to automatically censor social media, although neither method is fully developed. The idea of predicting terrorist attacks using an … Continue reading Anti-Terror Algorithms Raise Ethics, Effectiveness Questions
Politico Magazine featured a story yesterday titled "The FBI's Growing Surveillance Gap," arguing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is understaffed, which has led it to pursue controversial terrorism stings that some say amount to entrapment. But the Politico headline is ironic given some others this week. The author of the aforementioned article, Garrett M. … Continue reading Utility Pole Cameras: Big Brother Bureau is Watching
Although encrypted data has reportedly not yet posed a problem for investigators in the Orlando killing spree case, that didn't stop early media speculation that the investigation could reignite high-profile battles over data security. Earlier this year, Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation got into a fight over security features on a phone related to the … Continue reading Vulnerabilities Revealed Amidst Digital ‘Arms Race’
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated," the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states. While we still have the right -at least on paper - to privacy in our homes, however, many Americans appear increasingly willing to trade … Continue reading Tech Giants Promote Dystopian ‘Smart Homes’
A sampling of the rich and powerful of Europe and America gathered in Dresden, Germany over the weekend to discuss, among other things, the "geo-politics of energy and commodity prices" and "technological innovation." It was the 64th annual Bilderberg Meeting, and despite predictable attempts to maintain secrecy, the conference provided some surprises. One of the most remarkable … Continue reading Elites Wrap Up Busy Bilderberg Weekend
Last month, a closed-door meeting at Harvard Medical School about synthesizing human DNA drew criticism for its secrecy. The 150 or so attendees at the meeting were told not to talk to the media, although a conference organizer said there was a misunderstanding about the reasons for this injunction. Still, it is understandable that the public is … Continue reading Synthesizing Genomes and Weaponizing Gene Editing
Three years after the Boston Marathon bombing, previously undisclosed documents continue to emerge that challenge official explanations of circumstances surrounding the terrorist attack, specifically relating to actions of the FBI. In the aftermath of the bombing, it was widely reported that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of the two brothers sought in connection with the attack who … Continue reading New Documents Raise More Boston Bombing Questions
MirrorWilderness.com 